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Honkai Star Rail has over 80 characters, but not every one performs well, especially in end-game content. Some work in almost any team composition, while others only work in very specific lineups. With the arrival of 4.0 penalizing outdated comps, knowing the current meta gives you a reliable base for team building.
How Honkai: Star Rail Characters are Ranked
Characters are ranked at Eidolon 0 with their best 4-star Light Cone. There are three main factors: Endgame mode clear times (Pure Fiction, Memory of Chaos, Apocalyptic Shadow), team flexibility, and skill-point economy. Characters that fare well in only one area generally rank low.
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Characters Tier List
| Tier | Character | Path |
|---|---|---|
| S | Ruan Mei | Support (Harmony) |
| Robin | Support (Harmony) | |
| Firefly | DPS (Destruction) | |
| Acheron | DPS (Nihility) | |
| Feixiao | DPS (Hunt) | |
| Sparkle | Support (Harmony) | |
| Boothill | DPS (Hunt) | |
| A | Sunday | Support (Harmony) |
| Aventurine | Sustain (Preservation) | |
| Anaxa | Damage Dealer | |
| Evernight | Damage Dealer | |
| Hyacine | Sustain | |
| Huohuo | Sustain | |
| Kafka | DPS (Nihility) | |
| Jingliu | DPS (Destruction) | |
| Bronya | Support (Harmony) | |
| Seele | DPS (Hunt) | |
| Blade | Damage Dealer | |
| B | Lingsha | Sustain (Abundance) |
| Fugue | Support (Nihility) | |
| Jade | Sub-DPS (Erudition) | |
| Cyrene | Damage Dealer | |
| Mydei | Damage Dealer | |
| Archer | Damage Dealer | |
| Black Swan | Sub-DPS (Nihility) | |
| Silver Wolf | Sub-DPS (Nihility) | |
| Topaz | Sub-DPS (Hunt) | |
| Argenti | Damage Dealer | |
| C | Himeko | DPS (Erudition) |
| Yunli | Damage Dealer | |
| Aglaea | Damage Dealer | |
| Rappa | Damage Dealer | |
| D | March 7th | Sustain |
Meta Overview
This tier list reflects the dominance of versatile support characters and high-impact DPS units in the current meta. Ruan Mei and Robin continue to anchor top-tier compositions with their universal team synergies, while newer additions like Firefly and Acheron have established themselves as premier damage dealers. The meta favors characters who excel across multiple endgame modes and enable diverse team compositions.
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S Tier
These S-tier characters represent the pinnacle of power and versatility in Honkai Star Rail. They define team compositions and excel across all endgame content.
- Ruan Mei provides unmatched team-wide buffs and enables break compositions with her delay mechanics and damage amplification.
- Robin delivers exceptional damage support through her ultimate and action advance capabilities, making her essential for follow-up teams.
- Firefly dominates as a break DPS with incredible scaling and self-sufficiency in Super Break compositions.
- Acheron offers unparalleled Nihility synergy and devastating ultimate damage that can clear entire waves.
- Feixiao excels as a hunt DPS with consistent follow-up attacks and excellent single-target damage output.
- Sparkle provides premium skill point generation and critical damage buffs that elevate any DPS character.
- Boothill rounds out this tier with exceptional break damage and impressive versatility across different team compositions.
A Tier
A-tier characters offer strong performance and specialized roles that make them valuable in specific team compositions and content types.
- Sunday provides action advance support with solid team utility.
- Aventurine delivers premium sustain with offensive capabilities through his follow-up attacks.
- Anaxa, Evernight, and Hyacine offer specialized damage dealing in their respective niches.
- Huohuo excels as a healer with energy regeneration support.
- Kafka anchors DoT teams with her detonation mechanics.
- Jingliu, Bronya, Seele, and Blade remain strong options with proven track records in their specialized roles, though they face increased competition from newer units.
B Tier
B-tier characters provide solid performance but often require specific team compositions or investment to reach their full potential.
- Lingsha and Fugue offer healing and support capabilities with moderate damage contribution.
- Jade, Cyrene, Mydei, and Archer serve as competent DPS options in their respective elements.
- Black Swan enables DoT strategies with her arcana mechanics.
- Silver Wolf provides defense shred and weakness implant utility.
- Topaz supports follow-up teams with Numby's consistent damage.
- Argenti delivers AoE Erudition damage for multi-target scenarios.
C Tier
C-tier characters face significant competition from higher-tier options but can still function in specific scenarios. Himeko, Yunli, Aglaea, and Rappa offer niche utility but struggle to match the consistency and power of meta alternatives.
D Tier
March 7th represents the entry-level option that struggles to compete with other characters in endgame content, though she remains accessible for new players building their first teams.
Making the most of 4.0 and the Future
With huge changes in the HSR meta from new characters in 4.0, it shouldn't come as a surprise if 4.1 shakes things up just as much. If you're looking to invest in meta safe characters, look toward versatile support units such as Robin and Sunday, which are beneficial to almost any DPS character.
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Changelog
- Refreshed tier list for June 2026.
- Refreshed tier list for 4.2.
- Refreshed tier list for 4.2.